Fruit-picker&#39;s receptacle.



Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

R. RANDALL.

FRUIT PICKERS RECEFTACLE.

APPLICATION FILED oc.16, 1914.

CQLUMBM PLANOURAPH C0.. wAsHlNnToN, D. c.

" rrnn sra rA'rrE REUBEN RANBALL, OF VERNN, VBLEtIII'JJISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

f i FRUIT-PICKERS RECEPTACL'E.

Maaate.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Allg# 3f., llgllll.`

Application filed October 16, 1914. Serial No. 867,031.

carried by fruit pickers and suspended ordinarily from the shoulders of the operator by straps or similar means, leaving the hands of the fruit picker free to facilitate the picking operation.

The particular obj ect of the invention has been to device a bucket of the above mentioned kind wherein a flexible bottom spout is provided, same being adapted to be gathered into closed condition so as to provide a closure at the bottom of the bucket, mere releasing of the said gathering means, however, permitting the contents of the receptacle to flow out of the same into a bag, barrel, or like container.

Another object of the invention has been to provide a specially arranged gathering cord or rope for said flexible spout guided peculiarly through stationary and movable guide members carried by the bucket or receptacle, this feature together with other details of the invention being more fully explained hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is an elevation of a fruit pickers bucket embodying the invention, the bottom spout being shown closed in full lines and open in dotted lines and the lower portion of the bucket being broken away to bring out the fastening means by which the ilexible spout or member is attached to the bucket body. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, the supporting shoulder straps being broken away. Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the bucket, the suspending straps omitted.

In the drawings the bucket is illustrated as comprising the body A made of metal and elongated in cross section, see Fig. 3, one of the side walls of the bucket being curved outwardly as at c while the opposite side of the wall is correspondingly curved inward as at o, the latter curvature being designed to adapt the bucket to t against the body of the fruit picker from whom the receptacle may be suspended.

Suitably connected with the upper portion of the body A are the suspension straps l attached by snap hooks to the receptacle and titably adjusted by buckle means or the The bottom of the receptacle A constitutes a iiexible'spout B, same being made of fabric material of a suitable nature joined with the lower end of the receptacle A by means of a clamping ring or similar member 2. A gathering rope 3' is connected with the ,open or lower end of the spout B by means of rings 4: and the action of said rope to lift and tightly close the member B is quite evident upon reference to the several figures of the drawing. After being threaded through the rings 4c on the flexible spout or bottom member B the gathering rope 3 passes through a relatively stationary guide member consisting of a pivoted loop 5 directly attached to the upper portion of the part B. From thence the rope 3 passes through a movable or suspended guide loop 6, the latter being carried by a short chain or flexible device 7 directly attached to the upper portion of the receptacle body A. 1n the operation of closing the bottom spout B it is merely necessary to pull the gathering rope 3 so that the latter will be pulled taut through the members 5 and 6, after which the free end portion or portions of the rope 3 will be engaged with a spring clip 8 attached to the end of the receptacle. Under these conditions the bottom of the bucket will be maintained closed. After the bucket is filled, by disengaging the rope 3 from the clip 8 and slacking on the same, the weight of the fruit in the bucket will spread the spout B into open condition, permitting the contents of the receptacle to flow into a barrel, bag, or other container as desired.

The employment of the guide members 5 and 6 is advantageous in that the member 5 guides the rope 3 in such a way as to always pull the flexible bottom member B into the same position, namely at the inwardly curved side b of the receptacle body A. The member 6 is utilized as a guide and supporting means for the rope located at a point near the end of the receptacle and at a place not intermediate the bucket body A and the body of the person carrying said bucket. Owing t0 the fact that the member 6 is loosely suspended, it is obvious that the same may be raised or lowered in order to adjust the point of guiding support for ornrbn the rope 3 correspondingly, this dependingsomewhat upon the size and the form of the person who carries the bucket, whereby the invention may be most conveniently supported on the person.

`I-Iaying thus described the'inventiomwhat is claimed as new is A fruit pickers bucket consisting of a rigid metallic body of elongated form in cross section having one side curved out wardr and the other correspondingly curved inward, a flexible bottom spout attachedy to said body, a gathering cord connected with thefree end of the said spout whereby to close or open the same at will, a guide loop locatedl at the lower end of the bucketk adjacent to the inwardly curved sideof the latter and having the gathering rope passing therethrough, a clip secured to one end of the body and arranged to engage with the gathering. rope, a eXibly suspended guide loop suspended from the upper end of thebody at its inwardly curved side and 4located intermediate the first mentioned D.. R'. WHITE', J. A. KIRK.

Copies ofr this patent may be obtainedfor ixrel cents each, by addressing the. Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C'. 

